Be a resource

I’ve been working full-time in church environments for 5 years now and one of the things that I have come to love doing is sharing resources with other churches. I’ve seen/heard different conversations about whether or not churches should sell their various forms of media once they’ve been used, and I come out on the side of giving it all away.

Bottom line: Once a church has finished a sermon series, why not let any other church use it? Sure beats locking it away in an archive somewhere! I realize that it’s not an easy thing to set up an open source like Lifechurch has done (where you can download and use just about everything that they have ever produced), but there are ways of getting files to the churches that can put them to good use. Consider the smaller churches that just don’t have the people or resources but desire to do high-quality presentations of the Gospel.

Display your work! Graphic designers can utilize a flickr account to show the series/sermon graphics that they have. Video producers can use vimeo to show what they’ve done; Vimeo is a great site because you can make your videos available for download with a simple mouse click. Either way, make sure that you set up a good profile at sites like these so that people at other churches can contact you and make good connections with people. Networking works! I truly believe that this is an application of Acts 2:44-45 where believers are supposed to share what we have for the good of the (big C) church.

If you are looking for church resources and find something that another church has done that would work, please be sure to contact the original producer… It is such an honor for me whenever I hear from a church that wants to use something I have produced. I got an email today from a church in Lynden, Washington that wants to use a video that I did over a year ago because they said that it would fit so well with what their pastor is talking about. That is awesome; I don’t even give it a second thought! They get a video that can enhance a message and I make a new friend!

It all belongs to God; why not let His church use it?

[side note: At Seacoast Church, we will gladly let other churches use our various forms of media; you can see some of the video projects on our vimeo page]